Baron Arald
Baron Arald is the Baron of Redmont Fief, one of the largest and most important fiefs in the Kingdom of Araluen. He and Halt discuss the possibility of Will becoming a Ranger after the Choosing Day proceedings. History Baron Arald is an important ally of Araluen, leading one of the largest and most important fiefs in the kingdom. He has taken place in both wars against Morgarath. He is trustworthy, dependable, and a close friend of both Halt and King Duncan. The Ruins of Gorlan In the Ruins of Gorlan, he first appears at the Choosing Day where the wards in Castle Redmont are apprenticed. He is a little disappointed when Will isn't chosen as an apprentice by any of the craftmasters but is pleased when he becomes apprentice to Halt. Baron Arald joins in the boar hunt and talks with Will, who is nearby armed with his recurve bow, he is initially disapointed that the boar didn't come their way and mentions as much. He is proud of Will and Horace for their courageous behaviour when they get charged by the second boar. Towards the end of the book he helps his old friend Sir Rodney (also his Battlemaster), to fight off the Kalkara alongside Halt and Will. Arald and Rodney finish off one of the kalkara which Halt had mortally injured. He ends up injuring himself after the remaining Kalkara hits him with its massive paw, cracking his ribs, this knocks him unconsious so he is unable to help Rodney who is then paralyzed by the Kalkara's stare. At the end of the book he offers Will a place in the Battleschool but Will declines, saying he is a Ranger's apprentice. The Burning Bridge In The Burning Bridge, Baron Arald agrees to allow Halt to escort Alyss on her first diplomatic mission. This occurs after a very frustrating encounter with Halt concerning his behavior towards a battleschool apprentice and Sir Digby. Lady Pauline suggests that Halt could possibly be lonely without Will's company, thus comes up with the idea of him escorting Alyss. Towards the end of the book, Baron Arald is seen assisting King Duncan in the battle against Morgarath. Category:Barons Category:Araluans Category:Males Category:The Ruins of Gorlan characters Category:The Burning Bridge characters Category:The Battle for Skandia characters Category:Erak's Ransom characters Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Protagonists Category:The Icebound Land characters Category:The Lost Stories Characters Category:The Bridal Dance Characters Category:And About Time, Too... Characters Category:Lords Category:Knights Category:Leaders Category:Secondary Characters Category:Articles needing Improvement Category:Dinner for Five Characters Category:Articles without images The Icebound Land In the third book, Arald is at Halt's trial after he insults the king in a bid to be exiled. After that he is not seen again until the end of the Battle for Skandia. Oakleaf Bearers Arald is present at Castle Araluen when Will, Halt, Evanlyn and Horace arrive back from Skandia on the Wolfwind. Erak's Ransom In Erak's Ransom, Arald performs Halt and Pauline's wedding ceremony. He also joins in the bridal dance with Lady Sandra though it is noted that his wife has been unable to teach him the finer points of dancing, as he is far from elegant on the dance floor. The Lost Stories Baron Arald appears in several of the tales in the Lost Stories. 'Death of a Hero' He is mentioned only briefly as having been injured during the battle meaning that some of the ranks were plunged into confusion without their leader. 'Dinner for Five' In Dinner for Five, Gilan goes to Arald and lady Sandra to let them know that he has arrived in the fief to stand in for Will and Halt. The Baron and Lady Sandra invite GIlan to dinner that night, but Gilan cautiously declines, much to Arald's amusement, to see Jenny for dinner. 'And About Time Too...' In the final story, Baron Arald proudly performs the wedding ceremony for Will and Alyss. Relationships Lady Sandra Baron Arald loves his elegant, stylish wife who balances out her exuberant husband. Duncan He is a good friend of King Duncan and one of his closest advisors. They fought together in the first and then in the second Araluan Civil Wars. Halt Due to Arald's degree of closeness to the King, he and the Ranger assigned to his fief, Halt, share a friendly relationship, as Halt can be friends with him due to the loyalty, closeness, and obedience of the King's will. Baron Arald is also very close friends to the other Craftmasters of his fief, and he leads a section of the King's Army. Anthony = Though his secretary can be a bit overwhelmingly zealous at times, Arald is still aware of his importance when it comes to dealing with various matters in the fief. = Description He is friendly and is an expert judge of character and talents, Arald apparently has an uncanny skill to remember other people's names thoughout the kingdom. He is a very popular Baron among the people in his fief, the castle staff, and his soldiers/knights (athough it can be noted that the people have no love for his speeches, which presumaly drag on for a long time). He is also a strong and brave warrior, though he is known to be slightly overweight. Baron Arald has (in his opinion) a great sense of humour, but not many people often catch onto his jokes, to his annoyance. He enjoys hunting wild boar, as does all of his knights, including his Battlemaster, Sir Rodney. Baron Arald also has a stylish wife named Lady Sandra, who teaches Halt to dance. It was noted that Lady Sandra had never been able to teach Arald how to dance properly. He is good friends with Will, partly due to the fact Will saved his life in the first book when he is attacked by the Kallkara. One was about to kill Arald and Sir Rodney but Will shot it with a fire arrow, killing the monster and saving the Baron's and Rodney's lives in the process. Baron Arald thanks him publicly and offers him a place in Battleschool, but Will declines, saying that he'd rather stay as a Ranger. Arald is pleased when Will returns home to Araluen at the end of book four and is at Castle Araluen to welcome him with the King and other various nobles. The Baron performs multiple weddings, including Halt's and Will's. Category:Barons Category:Araluans Category:Males Category:The Ruins of Gorlan characters Category:The Burning Bridge characters Category:The Battle for Skandia characters Category:Erak's Ransom characters Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Protagonists Category:The Icebound Land characters Category:The Lost Stories Characters Category:The Bridal Dance Characters Category:And About Time, Too... Characters Category:Lords Category:Knights Category:Leaders Category:Secondary Characters Category:Articles needing Improvement Category:Dinner for Five Characters Category:Articles without images